Play

The power of one word.

I wrote this four letter ‘play’ on the first page of this new notebook on the tube, and the man next to me burst out laughing. “What straight lines you can make! They’re straighter than I can do with a ruler!”

This came, just at the moment when I was hoping for some human connection today. I’m feeling particularly vulnerable. I think because of many factors, but one is the fact that yesterday I spent the entire day alone, inside. It was a conscious choice and one that I’m glad I made. It is a privilege to be with myself, relaxing..

But this time alone means I didn’t get much human connection, and that makes me feel vulnerable. For once I am not doing doing doing. I have to face my thoughts, and my thoughts bring doubt. In our lifestyles, society, we think doubt is a ‘bad’ thing. I feel the pressure to always be clear, know what I want, and not hesitate. However, it is my intention to make doubt and uncertainty my friends. What does that even mean?

I suppose it means letting go, not trying to control the situation or outcomes. Welcoming, being open, being present, enjoying what is. We live in a culture of fear and scarcity. I don’t want to absorb that anymore. So I went to my studio to play! Play with screen printing…

Screen printing is quite a fixed medium to work with. I think it works best when you have a precise idea in mind. It’s quite time consuming as I had to cut out templates, and then clean the screen so it wouldn’t dry out in-between ideas.. I produced a lot but I didn’t really ‘enjoy’ it that much. Enjoyment seems to be a big part of play.